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Port Washington, NY, August 25, 2015 – The time has come for men to save face. While the majority, or 80 percent, of men use grooming products, facial skincare is the category with the biggest opportunity to expand usage, according to global information company The NPD Group’s 2015 Men’s Grooming Consumer Report. Reasons for non-usage among men vary, giving insight that an opening exists to further draw in Millennials as well as to reinvigorate and educate most men on the preventative benefits of facial skincare.

Men’s lack of interest in the category and perceived “problem free” skin are the leading reasons why men choose not to use facial skincare. Specifically, 42 percent of non-users report that they do not have any problems with their skin, and an equal percentage say they are just not interested in such products, while 17 percent are of the attitude that such products are for women.

“The great news continues to be that the vast majority of men are into grooming, and add to it the fact that a majority are also dedicated when it comes to their hair care. The proverbial white whale is the potential billion dollar opportunity in mobilizing men to adopt facial skincare,” said Karen Grant, global beauty industry analyst, The NPD Group.

Shaping The Mindset Among Millennials

Overall, most men classify themselves as minimalists when it comes to their level of engagement with grooming products, only using the products necessary to be clean; however, facial skincare users are most likely to have a more developed grooming routine and use at least a few products every day. This is driven by the behaviors of Millennials (aged 18-34), who outpace their peers in facial skincare usage and are most enthusiastic about the grooming category as a whole.

Younger users seek facial products with preventative and aesthetic benefits, while older users look for those that protect and reinvigorate. Benefits including acne prevention/treatment, oil/shine control, and pore minimizing are more important to Millennials, while moisturizing/hydrating, sun protection/SPF, and anti-aging are among the top for older facial skincare users.

Starting Small

Most male facial skincare users agree that samples and trial-size products have somewhat of an influence when deciding on which product to purchase, but men aged 35-54 are most strongly impacted by this approach. While Millennials are most likely to try and invest in new grooming products in general, the fact that this method resonates among Generation X may pose an advantageous opportunity to reach older consumers.

“What we understand and what we need to understand is different when it comes to men. Women see problems in their skin, but most men don’t. From childhood, males are taught the importance of grooming their hair but, other than cleansing, not their face. For most men, facial care is not introduced until they are already adults, and often as a problem-solution type of product,” said Grant. “Part of the process in cracking the code is to reposition the category for men so it is less associated with problem solving, and to spark interest and engagement in making facial care a seamless integration that is oriented to their particular life stage.”

Methodology

An online survey was fielded from April-May 2015 to a nationally representative sample of men aged 18+ from NPD’s proprietary panel of consumers, who were screened for product usage. A small sample of women 18+ was also included, and screened for purchasing men’s grooming products in the past year.

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